NICE warns industry on cost-effectiveness
pharmafile | February 9, 2010 | News story | Sales and Marketing | BMS, Janssen, NICE, Novartis, hta
NICE has turned down three drugs on cost grounds and has urged the pharma industry to do more to help the NHS when it comes to money.
Updated draft guidance for Bristol Myers-Squibb’s Sprycel (dasatinib) and Novartis’ Tasigna (nilotinib) for chronic myeloid leukaemia says they are not cost-effective.
And its preliminary appraisal of Novartis’ Afinitor (everolimus) for the second line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) finds the same.
“It would be heartening to hear that the pharmaceutical company manufacturers are prepared to share some of the very high cost of the drugs with the NHS,” said NICE clinical and public health director Professor Peter Littlejohns.
He said clinical specialists told the committee that Sprycel and Tasigna were clinically effective.
“However, the evidence available to support this was very poor, with no studies comparing either drug to other treatments,” he explains.
“The cost of the drugs is also extremely high and before committing limited NHS resources to fund them, we need to be sure they are effective.”
Likewise, Littlejohns said he was “disappointed” not to be able to recommend Afinitor.
“But NHS resources are limited and NICE has to decide which treatments represent best value to the patient as well as the NHS,” he went on.
NICE seemed more convinced this time that the brand was effective, but was concerned over limited data about how long it can extend life.
“We do not want to divert NHS funds to a treatment that costs more but doesn’t help people live longer,” Littlejohn concluded.
Making the financial numbers work has come increasingly to the fore, with NICE last month approving UCB Pharma’s Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) to treat rheumatoid arthritis as long as UCB makes it available to all patients free of charge for the first 12 weeks.
And this week Jannsen-Cilag won the backing of NICE’s Scottish counterpart the SMC for the use of Stelara (ustekinumab) in NHS Scotland for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, in part because of the manufacturer’s patient access scheme.
Taking the scheme into account, Stelara would be a cost-saving option compared to Wyeth and Amgen’s Enbrel (etanercept), the SMC said.
All the NICE guidance is now open to public consultation before more is issued, with manufacturers able to provide additional information on Sprycel and Tasigna before the committee’s meeting on 9 March.
Consultees, healthcare professionals and members of the public are able to comment on Afinitor until 2 March.
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